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If you’re broadcasting, you probably want people to watch. And if you want people to watch, you have to tell them when you’re going to go live. Creating an event is a great way to do this. It lets you communicate your programming with not only your followers and fans, but with people who may randomly stumble across your channel.

Being able to tell the world when you’re broadcasting by creating an event allows a one-click RSVP to the event, sending them an alert 60 minutes before the event goes live. Letting people know and alerting them before you go live has the potential to increase viewership and the broadcast’s success rate. Additionally, you can share your event with the Ustream content team at events@ustream.tv. The content team may choose to schedule it into Ustream’s “Upcoming” page or place the event on the home page or one of the four main sub pages for further exposure.

Here’s how you create an event — like the screen shot above:

Go to your Dashboard.

Click “Channel”.

Some of you may have more than one channel so make sure you choose the correct channel for which you want to create an event. Once you choose the channel, click “Events” in the subset categories.

You’ll then see “Schedule a New Event”. Click it!

Fill out the fields in the box that pops up. You’ll need a title, date, length (up to four hours), if it repeats, the time zone (double check!), and a description of the event.

When the event is created it will show up on your channel page below your channel info under the headline “Upcoming Shows.”

Self promotion! Even after you create your event be sure to promote it through your social networks. Tell people about your events, regularly update them, and keep your followers and fans updated on your programming. Planning and programming are key to creating a viewer habit and a viewer habit is key to a successful broadcaster.

Arizona State University Television broadcasts a variety of programs from news to sports to even vintage movies. Yes, vintage movies! Because it broadcasts so much, ASUtv is using scheduled events as a “TV Guide” to plan and promote its programming. ASUtv currently has nearly a half million views and 750 followers.

Have a question about broadcasting? Want us to tackle something specific? Have an idea to improve the Ustream experience? Tell us.

Ustream is your online home for the best live CES coverage. Our partners have an amazing lineup planned, so be sure to tune in Jan. 6-11 for all latest in tech, gadgets, gaming, celebrity appearances and more.

Don’t miss your favorite events. Click on the individual channel links to RSVP. All times are Pacific Standard Time.

IDG, the company that publishes PC World, Macworld and Computerworld, begins coverage of CES on Jan. 5. Tune in to IDG’s 24-7 Tech News Channel for the latest news, interviews and scenes from the show floor.

Just four days into the new year, two of Ustream’s animal broadcasters welcomed three new additions. Southwest Florida Eagle Cam welcome two eaglets on January 1 and 3 (see blog post here), and early this morning, Hummingbird Nest Cam welcomed egg #1 into the world. The baby hummingbird was named Sandy in honor of the victims of Hurricane Sandy and the Sandy Hook shootings.

Sandy’s mom, Phoebe Allens, is a non-migratory Channel Islands Allens Hummingbird from Orange County, California. This stunning HD cam has been on Ustream since 2009 and has seen Phoebe give life to dozens of new hummingbirds. Hatch watch continues on Sandy’s sibling, egg #2.

Below, watch Phoebe feed Sandy her first meal and join Hummingbird Nest Cam live for hatch watch on egg #2. Learn more about Phoebe on her website here.

Happy New Year, indeed! Ustream’s Southwest Florida Eagle Cam welcomed eaglet one on New Year’s Day and eaglet two is due any minute. Parents Ozzie & Harriet have been guarding the nest and keeping everything under control as “Hatch Watch” continues.

Check out some exciting moments from the past few days, and join us as we welcome eaglet #2 into the world. Follow @UstreamAnimals and @SWFLEagleCAM on Twitter for breaking news about the Southwest Florida bald eagles.

The moon passed in front of the sun today and those off the coast of Australia were able to view it. If you tuned into Ustream during the eclipse, you would have seen more than 10 channels along the Australian coast streaming the eclipse. It looked a little like this:

Starting Tuesday, November 14th, Explore.org will bring Ustream viewers an intimate look at a bunch of seemingly cuddly (and might we add lethal) polar bears from Wapusk National Park in Cape Churchill, Canada. The bears traditionally gather there starting in October, waiting for enough ice to form in the Hudson Bay so they can feast on fat, juicy seals for the winter. However, ice melt due to rising global temperatures has been the single greatest threat to their survival. Explore, in partnership with Polar Bears International and Frontiers North, hope that revealing the bears in their natural habitat and exposing them to a worldwide audience will inspire people to become involved in preservation and ensure the continued survival of these arctic giants.

Got questions? Daily moderated chats with polar bear experts will take place between 10am PT and 1pm PT, so be sure to tune in daily right here.

Hey MMA fans! UFC 154 is nearly here, and Ustream has you covered. In the main event, former WEC champion Carlos Condit looks to dethrone current champ George St-Pierre. We’ll have special events and coverage all week leading up to the big event, including FREE preliminary fights. You can buy your ticket for the main event here.

Can’t make it to Australia for Tuesday’s solar eclipse? No problem. Ustream will take you across the Pacific and give you a front row seat to one of the most spectacular celestial events — a perfect alignment of sun, moon and Earth.It’s the first total solar eclipse since July 2010 and the only one this year, so you won’t want to miss it. We’ll have live broadcasts from across Australia: Port Douglas, Fitzroy Island, Mareeba, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.The festivities kick off on Tuesday, Nov. 13th at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT at www.ustream.tv.Below are our partners offering live feeds of the skies:
Main Panasonic channel: Broadcast from Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort http://www.ustream.tv/channel/panasonic-eclipse-live-by-solar-power-1

Panasonics project, described as, “Filming the sun, using the sun” aims to capture and broadcast to the world a solar eclipse using only the power of sunlight. They’re using Panasonic’s high efficiency solar power-generating system, “HIT” to generate power with a portable battery back for power storage. They’ll then be able to broadcast the eclipse images captured on a Lumix GH2.